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Devon Giardini—11^th Grade at Lowell High School, San Francisco

My interest in the natural world has left me the odd one out for so much of my life. Coming to Girls in Science surrounded by many knowledgeable people was a new and wondrous experience. For one of the first times in my life, I was surrounded by people who, though very different from me, shared many of the same passions and loves I did. Coming to Girls in Science allowed me to connect with people who, on the surface, are different from me but share the same love for science and the natural world.

Aryya (Red) Sambhus—11^th grade at Notre Dame High School, San Jose, CA

My name's Red, and I am honored to be a part of this expedition and learn more about the environment that I’m in. I would love to pursue a future in environmental science, and participating in research through this program will be my first step in getting there. I’m a rising senior from San Jose, and my hobbies include spontaneous art projects, reading, thrifting, and taking care of my fish.

Emma Wong—10^th grade at Liberty High School, Kern, CA

Participating in ��������’s Girls in Science program has been a transformative experience. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has allowed me to realize my potential. As such, carrying the knowledge I now know, I intend to further my pursuit of science. Though I am not certain what I will be doing in the future, I look forward to a profession that will take me to the frontiers of science, where disciplinary differences are bridged to culminate into something understandable, applicable, and, most of all, better our world. All I have done through this program could not have been accomplished without your support.

Sabrina Bankhead—11^th grade at Rex Putnam High School, Milwaukee, OR

I'm an outgoing person, always excited to try something new. I love being active and involved in my community. I recently was an outdoor school student leader; therefore, I was surrounded by nature for a long time, which was enjoyable to connect with the world around me. I'm enthusiastic about this experience, meeting new people, and the knowledge I'll gain.

Saria Dang—11^th grade at John Marshall High School, Los Angeles, CA

Thank you so much for this beautiful opportunity. I am incredibly grateful to receive this fellowship. I grew up with a disabled father and a mother who was his sole caretaker. To return my mother’s 12 years of caretaking and my father’s constant support, I always strive to give back to my family. Thank you for allowing me an amazing fellowship and the opportunity to make my family very proud. Growing up in LA, I was used to sprawling metropolises, which held all the negatives I learned about in AP environmental science: noise pollution, inversion layers, and heat islands. But the Sierra Meadows was different. Every day, we saw something new, whether a nest of baby birds, deer bone, fat bumblebees, or flocks of geese. In class, I learned about water tables and erosion, but I could see these aspects of the environment in the meadows and measure actual data involving these factors. Previously, I didn’t know that a seemingly mundane title like “field work” could correlate to hiking in gorgeous places and interacting with nature in an intimate way. My work in the Sierra meadows has further inspired me to pursue environmental engineering, as this fellowship has given me confidence in STEM that I never previously held.

Sophia Kim—11^th grade at Benjamin Franklin High School, Los Angeles, CA

Being in a low-income family, the experiences provided in GIS are truly a privilege. The experience of networking with women in the STEAM field, meeting other female-identifying students with the same interests, having hands-on experience of restoration, learning about indigenous rights, knowing how to tell our story, and so many more experiences that I can continue to list on ultimately enabled me to grow intellectually as a student and grow as a person.

Emily Rodriguez—11^th grade at Culver City High School, Los Angeles, CA

In the end, I discovered how fulfilling it can be to work with my hands, and I got to meet many other girls just as passionate about the environmental sciences as I am. Together, we collected data to attain further knowledge of the meadows of the Yuba Watershed. We shared our personal stories and community work, inspiring one another to take even more active roles in local efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and positively impact our environment.